At Dirk'swe
carry many additional items to complete and complement your favorite
recipe such as:

-
Select Fresh

Vegetables

-
Fresh Breads

-
Fresh Chips &

Crackers

-
Parchment Paper

(by
the sheet)

-
Seafood Utensils

and
more.....

Asian Carp Burgers

Asian carp, both Bighead and Silver are some of the most popular fish around the world. Here in the U.S. , we tend to look down on carp. While I will admit that there is a bone issue(carp needs to be run through a grinder to remove the bones), this fish is a great low fat protein that actually is very mild and moist.

Asian carp might be hard to find in most markets but with some advance planning it should be available and relatively inexpensive. The best way to purchase carp is pre-ground. At Dirk's, we tend to carry it on the weekends when we can sample it on our grill.

Our burgers were a huge hit at the 2012 Taste of Chicago where we cooked up and gave away 840 sliders in 2 hours and 20 minutes!

Dirk's Fish is also working with the Shedd Aquariium raising awarness of the Asian carp issues. We are featured on the Great lakes video showing at the aquarium daily cooking up carp burgers and dogs.

My newest twist is to add one of my favorite cheeses, Cambozola to the inside of the burger. The soft cheese melts inside as the burger cooks and oozes out when you eat eat it, fantastic!

We should all embrace the use of Asian carp for food purposes. It is a great lean low fat protein and being a problem invasive species, eating it is a great solution. Have your friends over for burgers and they will be pleasantly surprized!

Ingredients

2 pounds Asian carp fillets, ground

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs( this is optional)

2 tablespoons fresh garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon zest

4 teaspoons dry oregano or 2 teaspoons fresh oregano

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

Combine all ingredients except panko crumbs. I like to grind the fish twice to make sure there are no more bones and to blend the spices. Add panko crumbs and form into patties or choose not to use breading. The burgers will be a little softer but just handle with care.

If you want to add cheese, use a soft cheese. Form a small ball of cheese and insert into the center of the burger. Form the burger around the cheese.

Cook for about 5 minutes per side on a hot grill, the cheese will start leaking out when they are almost done.